Trouser presses

ABSTRACT

An industrial trouser press comprises a stationary frame housing a central shaft supporting main arms each of which carries a cylinder having a piston rod secured to a box supporting the relatively movable depending hollow arms of a pressing assembly on which the trouser legs of trousers are mounted to surround a perforated steam chest, and periodically the shaft is turned for moving each pressing assembly in turn into a relatively stationary pressing station in registry between pressing heads capable of substantially horizontal movement to contact the trouser carrying arms, and each pressing assembly is rocked through 90* whihe moving between a loading station and the pressing station and between the pressing station and an unloading station.

[11] I 3,823,854 1451 July 16,1974

United States Patent 1191 Everett 3,719,311 3/1973 Remiarz................................ 223/73 TROUSER PRESSES Inventor: gg 'gg g f fig Holme Via Primary Examiner-Geo. V. Larkin g Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Norris & Bateman [73] Assignee: Ibis Engineers Limited, Kendal,

England press comprises a stationar 22 Filed: July 9,1973 21 Appl. No.: 377,304

frame housing a central shaft su each of which carries a c ylinder having a piston rod secured to a. box supporting the relatively movable depending hollow arms of a pressing assembly on which s are mounted to surround a and periodically the-shaft is [30] Foreign Application Priority Data e trouser legs of trouser rforated steam chest July 18, 1972 Great Britain.................... 33444/72 o- 0 n en O m om9fi .1 .m rd nW f h n tO g a h u me o n ynl t nel y vo mnmm .Wnfi am s il c n m m m hog u m mcfin g S b m m m m g f r .m m m w w h h iw w a esb b h r mmmam D n h mw e 7 C Sne 9 awws ew ead t na We m n.w 0.mfl nu .l ll hts 0C m t% mfi m m n mm m 9 rw m wn oem hoo .W .V m H.m 0 ad an e a e11 m S ne 0 rrwlmm m watmawmu 302 33 707 X77 H 4 H22 2C7 322 6, 2.. 3 mm m m "5 m a u 4 a." N "N" M E a "2 T "u" d mmm n CA an" "mm .nP mm "mm S mmn "n sE a m uTW "mm n omM mm mT m mu" .mSOZM uh e MC R UM E5500 566 s WD U U 0 m 120 Ul F 253 1] l 6005 M18 6 nm HUB: 5 2 3 3 TROUSER PRESSES This invention relates to improvements in trouser presses.

According to the invention a trouser press comprises a stationary frame housing a central shaft supporting main arms from each of which depends a cylinder havinga piston rod affixed to a box supporting the movable members of a pressing assembly, the movable members being formed of arms on which the legs of the trousers are mounted to surround a perforated steam chest, means for periodically moving the members into a position to register with stationary members of the pressing assembly, the stationary members being formed of pressing heads carried on plates given a substantially horizontal movement to contact the trouser carrying arms, means for rotating the main arms from one station to the next and means for rotating the movable members through 90 between a loading station and a pressing station.

The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. I is a diagrammatic perspective view of the machine;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of part of the machine;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic plan view of the drive of the machine;

FIG. 5 is a side elevation of the trouser pressing assembly in the raised position;v

FIG. 6 is a similar elevation showing the assembly in the lowered position;

FIG. 7 is a diagrammatic perspective view ofthe pressing assembly.

An industrial pressing machine for trousers is constructed with a stationary frame 1 housing a central shaft 2,v supporting angularly related main arms 3 from each of which depends a piston rod 4 operated by a cylinder 5 carried by, the arm and a telescopic rod 6 extends between the arm and a box 8 later described. The piston rod 4 and telescopic'rod 6 carry a pressing assembly generally indicated by 7. The assembly 7 can be lowered by operating the cylinder 5 so that the opera tor can load a pair of trousers A onto the machine.

Each of the three pressing assemblies 7 comprises box 8 and two dependent arms 9 and 10 on which the trousers A are held for pressing. The trousers are fitted to the arms 9 and 10 by hooking the centre back of the waistband B to a hook 11 supported on the arm 10, bringing the sides of the waistband around a steam chest 12, the waistband being held against the steam chest by discs 120, said discs being operated by cylinders, not shown. The fly front is held up against the chamfered edge of the arm 9 by a relatively vertical bar 13 operated by a cylinder 14. The two front crease lines of the trousers are brought around the arm 9 and held in position by two plates 15 operated by a cylinder 16 through arms 16a. The arm 10 moves outwardly to pull the waistband taut by releasing a peg 22 operated by a cylinder 23 and allowing a block 24 to move along a rod 25 under pressure of a spring 26. At the end of the pressing cycle the block 24 is moved back to the posi- 7 tion shown, by the-arm 27 pivoted at 28 and operated -by the cylinder 29. The creases to be pressed are slipped under metal finger plates 9a and 10a to hold the creases in position up to the moment of pressing. The plates 9a and 10:: are carried on square section bars 17 2 and 18 and are slidably mounted thereon for adjusting to differing sizes of trousers. Each arm 9 and 10 is hollow and terminates in a hollow block 19 and 20and is connected by an extendable tube (spring loaded) 21 which allows steam or vacuum to pass from one arm to the other. At the moment of pressing the fingers and their carrying rods 17,- 18 move outwardly under pressure exerted by cylinders 17a and 18a.

After a garment has been affixed onto an assembly the pressing assembly is rocked about the axis of rod ,6 in an anti-clockwise direction for proper registry at the pressing station as will appear. This is done by raising the assembly 7 after fixing the trousers thereto and rotating the box 8 through 90. This is done by operating the cylinder 5 to raise the assembly and then operating a cylinder 60 which moves an arm 61 mounted on the telescopicshaft6 through 90 and subsequently moves the box 8 and its dependent arms 9, 10 by the same amount. The cylinder 30 (FIGS. 2 and 4) is then actuated by a starter button 30a on the box 8, the cylinder 30 being pivotally mounted on the frame and the piston rod to arm 31. The arm 31 carries a yoke 32 which engages a peg 33 carried on a disc 34 which in turn is carried on the main shaft 2. As the arm is moved toward the pressing station (FIG. 4) it actuates a micro-switch 35 which operates a brake cylinder 36. This cylinder moves a nylon coated brake arm 37 into the path of the main arm 3. As the arm 3 comes into the pressing station a lug 39 engages a recess 40 in the brake arm 37v holding the main arm 3 in the pressing station. At this point the arm 31 hits the micro-switch 41 causing the cylinder 42 to disengage the yoke 32 from the peg 33 and to allow the return of the arm 31 to its former position under retraction of the cylinder 30. When the arm 31 reaches its former position it actuates a microswitch 43 which operates the yoke 32 and engages the next peg 33.

When the assembly 7 has reached the pressing station shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 a cylinder 44 moves oppositely disposed pressing head carrying'arms 45 and-4.6 inwardly under the action of the links 47 and a connecting rod 48 to press the garment. Each pressing head has a steam inlet to heat the head or it can be electrically heated. A fan 49 blows through a heater 50 and steam from a steam chamber 49a is blown along a duct 51 and into the box 8, from there it passes down through the steam chest 12 in -to the centre portion of the trousers. Sealing means are provided between'the duct 51 and the box 8 effective when the pressing assembly is in the raised position shown in FIG. 1. The steam can pass through a super heater 52 by operating a flap 53 through a cylinder 54. Before the pressing operation takes place a vacuum is applied to the arms 9, 10

through the tube 56and the trousers are held in posi tion by the vacuum when the metal fingers 9a and 10a move away under the pressure of the cylinders 17a and 18a. The steam from the duct 51 steams the centre portion of the trousers and steam throughthe tube 55 passes down the arm 9 through the tube 21 and up the arm 10. Both of these arms have poroussurfaces. After pressing the vacuum through tube 56 cools the trousers and sets the creases. This vacuum is continued until the trousers reach the unloading position.

The pressing heads 57 and 58 are carried on plates- 59. These plates are slotted to allow movement of the pressing heads to line up with difi'ereing shapes and sizes of trousers.

A thermo-couple may be embedded in the surface of the inner arm thus measuring the temperature of the garment and automatically allowing the pressing surfaces to release at the desired temperature.

What I claim is: I

1. An industrial pressing apparatus for trousers and likegarments comprising a support mounting a plurality of angularly related main arms for movement about a generally verticalaxis, a garment mounting pressing assembly depending from each of said main arms, means defining a relatively fixed pressing station, means for indexing said support about said axis to dispose each of said pressing assemblies in turn at said station, each of said pressing assemblies comprising relatively movable members over which a garment to be pressed is placed, means operative upon arrival of a pressing assembly atsaid station for introducing steam internally of that pressing assembly, means providing movably mounted pressing heads at said station between which each said pressing assembly is positioned in turn and means at the pressing station for moving said pressing heads toward the pressing assembly positioned in said station..

2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein each of said pressing assemblies comprises an upper steam chest and a pair of dependent hollow garment mounting arms, through which steam from-said chest is circulated.

3. A trouser press as in claim 2 with means for supplying vacuum to the dependent arms when the steam is cut off.

4. A trouser press as in claim 2 having bars and tingers thereon for initially holding trouser legs on the dependent arms and means for withdrawing the fingers immediately before the application of steam to the dependent arms.

5. The pressing apparatus defined in claim 1, wherein opposed pressing heads are provided at each said station and means is provided for automatically turning each said pressing assembly about a substantially vertical axis for operative introduction and disposition between said opposed pressing heads. v

6. Apparatus as defined in claim 5 wherein said opposed pressing heads are substantially horizontally movable and are connected by an operative linkage to a fluid pressure responsive motor for simultaneous movement toward each other during a pressing operation. i

7. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein each pressing assembly comprises a pair of generally coextensive hollow relatively laterally separable arms connected at their lower ends by conduit means whereby steam introduced at the upper end of one of said hollow arms may traverse both of them during a pressing operation.

8. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein fluid pressure responsive means is provided for moving each said pressing assembly between a lower garment mounting position and an upper position wherein it is operatively located within said station and connected to a source of steam.

9. Apparatus as defined in claim 8 wherein each said pressing assembly comprises a box at its upper end having depending hollow garment mounting arms and means for conducting steam to and through said arms, and the fluid pressure responsive means comprises a cylinder unit on the main arm having a piston rod securedto said box, a telescopic rod connected between the main arm and the box, and means is provided for rocking said box and the associated depending arms about the axis of said telescopic rod for registry with said pressing heads at said station. 

1. An industrial pressing apparatus for trousers and like garments comprising a support mounting a plurality of angularly related main arms for movement about a generally vertical axis, a garment mounting pressing assembly depending from each of said main arms, means defining a relatively fixed pressing station, means for indexing said support about said axis to dispose each of said pressing assemblies in turn at said station, each of said pressing assemblies comprising relatively movable members over which a garment to be pressed is placed, means operative upon arrival of a pressing assembly at said station for introducing steam internally of that pressing assembly, means providing movably mounted pressing heads at said station between which each said pressing assembly is positioned in turn and means at the pressing station for moving said pressing heads toward the pressing assembly positioned in said station.
 2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein each of said pressing assemblies comprises an upper steam chest and a pair of dependent hollow garment mounting arms through which steam from said chest is circulated.
 3. A trouser press as in claim 2 with means for supplying vacuum to the dependent arms when the steam is cut off.
 4. A trouser press as in claim 2 having bars and fingers thereon for initially holding trouser legs on the dependent arms and means for withdrawing the fingers immediately before the application of steam to the dependent arms.
 5. The pressing apparatus defined in claim 1, wherein opposed pressing heads are provided at each said station and means is provided for automatically turning each said pressing assembly about a substantially vertical axis for operative introduction and disposition between said opposed pressing heads.
 6. Apparatus as defined in claim 5 wherein said opposed pressing heads are substantially horizontally movable and are connected by an operative linkage to a fluid pressure responsive motor for simultaneous movement toward each other during a pressing operation.
 7. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein each pressing assembly comprises a pair of generally coextensive hollow relatively laterally separable arms connected at their lower ends by conduit means whereby steam introduced at the upper end of one of said hollow arms may traverse both of them during a pressing operation.
 8. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein fluid pressure responsive means is provided for moving each said pressing assembly between a lower garment mounting position and an upper position wherein it is operatively located within said station and connected to a source of steam.
 9. Apparatus as defined in claim 8 wherein each said pressing assembly comprises a box at its upper end having depending hollow garment mounting arms and means for conducting steam to and through said arms, and the fluid pressure responsive means comprises a cylinder unit on the main arm having a piston rod secured to said box, a telescopic rod connected between the main arm and the box, and means is provided for rocking said box and the associated depending arms about the axis of said telescopic rod for registry with said pressing heads at said station. 